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3 - Ideology
This is a variable, which at times causes divergence and separation between various social groups, and consists of the special make-up of each of these social groups' values. And without ideology scattered social groups are not able to unite effectively. Although the common need for freedom is perhaps the necessary proviso and condition for any revolution, at the same time, a revolution must have a forward looking ideology with a desirable framework of values to replace those of the system it is trying to bring down. In other words, in revolutions we have a full-fledge competition between the revolutionary ideologies and the old system of values and thus, they define and clarify the values of a balanced and dynamic society. In this regard, one must bear in mind that some ideologies comprise limited beliefs and ideas and are only useful more in a psychological sense in that they reduce the pain commonly felt by the people, or are effective in blaming an issue or matter as the cause of all shortcomings.However, a revolutionary ideology means a plan for immediate change from the prevailing conditions, and at times, revolutionary ideologies have a religious nature and the revolutionaries believe they receive divine help in their common endeavor, and in a real sense are based on, and buoyed by a set of religious values.[22] Having reviewed some general aspects of revolutions, we can proceed to compare and contrast these three elements with respect to the victory of the Islamic Revolution:The Islamic Revolution is the result and culmination of a long labor and experience of the people of Iran and its elite both seminary and university scholars - in their unrelenting fight against the twin phenomena of colonization and dictatorship. The passage of years and decades, and the futility of all attempts, strategies, and non-Islamic ideologies to find solutions to the root causes of many problems facing the Iranian people, caused the people to turn to Islam as the religion, which would and could address their socio-economic and political concerns as well as their spiritual ones.To be sure, belief in Islam in this land is more than a millennium old, but was not commonly known as a religion, which could also offer a viable system of governance as well. Therefore, it took the truly unique person of Imam Khomeini to prove the logic and righteousness of interwoven nature of religion and politics, using the Holy Quran and the recorded words and deeds (the Traditions) of the holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam. Armed with true Islamic tenets and teachings, the Iranian nation could, at last, pursue its freedom from the chains of neo-colonialism and dictatorship through reliance on the unconquerable bastion of Islam, and finally, triumphed against all odds. That the Iranians stage a revolution under the banner of Islam was and is a very deep transformation, which seems rather strange on a planet almost conquered by the idea of the separation of religion and state. It is sadly a fact of contemporary history, which has seldom been studied and researched by the academia and analysts. However, there are exceptions to this unfortunate fact. One is the prominent French philosopher Michel Foucault who was curious enough to travel to Iran soon after the Revolution and is among the few foreign thinkers and intellectuals who found the subject worthy of deep thought and research. He was well aware that even his countrymen will not accept his words and views mainly because of the long-standing dominance of the belief that religion is barren and unproductive when it comes to social matters, and this has made them become incapable of any new and innovative thoughts in this regard. He writes: What meaning, for the people who inhabit our land, the search for the possibilities that we lost after the Renaissance and the great crisis of Christianity has? A search for political spirituality? I can already hear the French people's roar of laughter. But I know they are mistaken.[23]In any case, the important point with respect to the role of the people in the victory of the Iranian Islamic Revolution is the widespread and almost total participation of the Iranian people in the revolutionary process, so that one can rightly claim that just about everyone and every group had an active and continuous participation. This fact shows that the revolutionary transformation affected all social strata and groups regardless of class and political base and belief and brought them together in spite of their differences. In a spectacular show of unity Iranians from every walk of life came together under the great umbrella provided by their belief in Islam and its ability to offer them new prospects for a new society.[24]In order to better comprehend the effects of the twin and intertwined elements of leadership and ideology in the Islamic Revolution it is best to discuss them in tandem. Leadership in the Islamic Revolution is, in effect, the ideology and school of thought in words and deeds, as well as a great endeavor to make maximum use of the vast potentials of this school of thought, to reach goals set and taught by the same school of thought. Since we have spoken of the religion of Islam as the ideology of the Revolution, the question that arises is: given the fact that Islam is not a new religion, what did cause its believers and adherents to rise anew and make a new revolution based on its teachings? What indeed caused this ancient religion to move, motivate, and morally lead the Iranian revolution? We know that the eternal nature of the religion of Islam has never changed. Therefore, it seems entirely logical to find the answer in the environment in which this religion seems to have been found anew by masses of new people thirsty for the truth of a true religion.Therefore, didactically speaking, the importance here lies in how "Islam is offered," and not Islam itself. In other words, how true Islam is offered to the people, and the use the people make of it, are indicators of two other important subjects. First, not only how it was offered to the people by religious scholars and leaders, but, which reading (understanding) of Islam was in effect accepted by the people? And, second, by whom was its true nature and teachings offered and explained to the people? Or, to put it rather succinctly, were these advocates of Islam merely engaging in a great act of sloganeering, or were they themselves, soul and all, sold on their own slogans and actively practicing what they were preaching? This prelude was to underline the great importance of "leadership," since in the case of the Iran's Islamic Revolution the leadership both offered and practiced the offered ideology as a role model to the followers. Thus, we must discuss and understand the subjects of ideology and leadership as inseparable facts in the Iranian Islamic Revolution. We can also discuss the two questions in more clear terms in this way. First, what reading did the great leader of Islamic Revolution, our late Imam Khomeini, had of Islam? In other words, what was his reading and comprehension of Islam? Second, how did he act in his role and capacity as the undisputed leader, and what was his understanding of the role and burden of the leadership and its duties and powers in the society?Let us begin with the answer to the first question by stating the fact that the Iranian culture has for a long time been intertwined with the religion of Islam, so that social groups and powers have established a multitude of ways for maintaining contact with their religious leaders and scholars. During the rule of the Pahlavi regime, religious gatherings and ceremonies in honor and remembrance of Ashura (the day of mourning for the martyred Imam Hussein (as)) and the month of fasting of Ramadan, were always held in spite of the former regime's many obstacles, and deep and intense religious feelings were widespread. However, they had not yet manifested themselves in the political life of the society. Gradually, with the formation of a movement and school of thought which had risen in response to the imported anti-religious thoughts and trends the contradiction and confrontation became deeper and profounder. There appeared on the social horizon a group of religious Iranian elite who began to find their religion and its true teachings anew and focused on their religion as a subject matter of deep research. Furthermore, Islamic seminaries in a movement pioneered by the late Imam Khomeini had begun a serious reform movement of these religious establishments of high learning. Islam and its life-saving teachings had been a life-long and special focus of the late Imam's endeavors. His eloquent words with respect to the emphasis of good tidings and warnings of the Holy Quran and the lessons of the early history of Islam and their role in clarifying the status quo during the pre-revolutionary era and how to move in the desired direction shown by these divine, and divinely-inspired sources were repeated and received by the people many times. He raised and revived such seemingly forgotten concepts as right and wrong, the oppressor and the oppressed, rich and poor, the aggrieved and the arrogant, and the deeds Islam sees and separates as good and evil, and gave them new life and meaning, and a gave new life to the Iranian political arena as well. The Imam maintained: "Islam is all politics. They have introduced Islam badly. Islam is a comprehensive religion with teachings and tidings for human beings from the day they are born till the day they are put to rest in their eternal resting place."[25] The late Imam believed in Islam as a religion, which offers a practical plan for humans and forever elevating their humanity to unknown and unimagined heights. And since human begins are created social creatures who find meaning and their mission in life and living in the society, Islam is accordingly a religion which is handed down by the Almighty to build the society up to its maximum potential. Thus, this fact makes senseless the senseless theory of separation of religion from society and its management model. It is nothing more than a crude and cruel attempt by dictators, despots, and colonialist powers and their servants and supporters. "That religion should be separated from politics [and public life], and that scholars of Islam are supposed to stay away from social, public and political affairs is an infamous deed and doing of colonialists who began, and benefit, from such barrage of baseless propaganda," The late Imam warned on an occasion, adding, such words are uttered, and ushered into people's minds by pagans only. "Was religion and all that it offers ever separate from politics and public affairs during the time of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)?" He asks not rhetorically, but in clear reference to the early history and eternal teachings of Islam. Were some of the people clerics, some politicians and some rulers during those days? These remarks were made by the colonialists and their political agents to isolate religion from any interference in the worldly affairs and running the affairs of the Muslim societies and at the same time separate the Muslim scholars from the people and the fighters who struggled in the way of freedom and independence. Under such circumstances they could dominate the people and plunder our wealth They did not want us to be human beings. They are afraid of human beings. If there is one human being they are afraid of him, for he will reproduce and leave such impacts that will destroy the foundations of dictatorship, colonialism, and lackey governments."[26]
Imam Khomeini did not believe in the complete separation of religion
from worldly affairs and considered this world a farmland for the hereafter. To
him, government and power were nothing except rendering services to the people
and Islam. Hence, he would say: "bear in mind that now that you have come to
power, it is not governance; it is rendering services; Islam has servant. But
it has law enforcement forces as well to suppress those who want to commit
treachery. The Islamic government is the government of services."[27]
In the same line, he would recommend the officials of other Islamic
countries and the Muslims: "try to rule over the hearts of the people of your
countries, not their bodies Ruling the hearts of a country is a sweet
government, contrary to ruling over the bodies where the hearts do not
accompany."[28]
With regard to Imam's percept, it should be borne in mind that he
launched his political activities when he was 61, which was merely a sense of
responsibility, duty and love of the divine Islamic principles.
The leaders of the revolutions have often been
introduced as rebels who are able to create disorder and make ballyhoo and are
often considered ambitious. But Imam Khomeini belongs to another category. He
is an epoch-making sage, for before he had any responsibility and before
becoming known in the public, he concentrated on self-purification for years,
tried to gain experience in Major Jihad (war against inherent self), and
acquire knowledge of sociopolitical conditions of the country. In a book
published in 1982, a staff of his office wrote: "for fifty years Imam Khomeini
has not given up his supererogatory nocturnal prayers; Imam used to offer his
supererogatory nocturnal prayers in health, illness, prison, freedom, exile and
even when he was hospitalized in the cardiology hospital."[29]
Imam did not give up remembrance of God, recitation and contemplation
on the Quran until the last moments of his life. In fact on the basis of the
today's criteria he was an unbelievable example of a human-divine leadership in
this intricate, politicized world, who emerged, bore fruit, and presented a
positive example of a leadership, free from political collusions. An example
which was a result of independence, firmness and resolution in decision-making,
awareness and insight vis--vis the plots of the regime and tricks of the
enemies. Other features of Imam Khomeini's leadership included defending righteousness,
emphasis on self-purification and belief in the priority of individual acts on
the social movements whose requirement was an outlook and approach that could
foresee the future prospects. Hence, in practice too Imam Khomeini personally
practiced Islamic ordainments.
He rebelled against his time and laid the foundations of a new
structure. The main prerequisite to the accomplishment of such a gigantic task
was firmness in implementing divine commandments, for the new task
(establishment of an Islamic government with the support of the people)
required new arrangements. In other words the new structure was not build on
the basis of the requirements of time. Therefore in order to prepare suitable
conditions one had to take action instead of foregoing the uprising when the
time was ripe. The Imam maintained that it was through uprising in the way of
God that the knowledge of God was acquired. Also addressing those who argued
that they did not have power to rise, the Imam used to say: you should rise to
gain power.[30]
